200,000 date trees to be removed due to mite insects

The Saudi Ministry of Agriculture and Water plans to remove 200,000 abandoned date trees in Al Ahsa and Al Qatif provinces.

The measure is part of the fourth phase of programs for the removal of abandoned date trees which the ministry began three years ago, al Eqtisadiah reported here today.

The ministry explained on August 25 that there were 850,000 abandoned date trees in Al Qatif and Al Ahsa, considered to be a conducive environment for multiplication of mite insects which attack red date trees. In the third phase of the program, 400,000 of such date trees were removed. In this fourth phase 200,000 trees were marked for removal.

There are about 13 million date trees in the kingdom, 4 million in Al Ahsa and Al Qatif alone, producing over 200 varieties of dates. Al Ahsa possesses 60 varieties.

There are over 19 factories for packaging dates with a production capacity of about 72,000 tons per annum.